The Story Behind Kate Middleton's Altered Photo Of Queen Elizabeth
Kate Middleton and Queen Elizabeth first met at Balmoral in 2013, and the queen was immediately open to the then-future Princess of Wales, allowing her to take pictures at the iconic royal estate. But, a controversy surrounding Princess Kate's photography arose in 2023 when Middleton posted a snap of Queen Elizabeth in her final days surrounded by the youngest Windsors.
In her book "Kate: The Future Queen," author Katie Nicholl explains the significance of Kate Middleton and the Queen's first meeting in 2013. "Until now the Queen had met Kate only fleetingly at the wedding of Peter and Autumn Phillips, but she went out of her way to make her feel welcome, giving her permission to take pictures at Balmoral."
Up until Queen Elizabeth's death, Kate Middleton and the Queen carried on this tradition, and Middleton took a photo showing the Queen surrounded by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren sitting on a sofa at Balmoral castle. However, Middleton later photoshopped the image to post on social media following the Queen's first birthday since her passing, which caused quite a commotion.
Kate Middleton has a habit of sneaky photo editing
On April 21, 2023, Kate Middleton posted the photo in question to her Instagram with the caption, "Today would have been Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth's 97th birthday. This photograph — showing her with some of her grandchildren and great grandchildren — was taken at Balmoral last summer." It was posted without a notice of the image being altered, but the internet quickly noticed the odd inconsistencies in areas like the Queen's plaid skirt, the sofa, and Prince Louis' neck. Middleton admitted to editing the photo after the speculation began, but Kensington Palace decided not to release the unedited version.
Because the photo had been modified, the press that posted it added a warning, noting the manipulation. Instead of removing the picture completely, Vanity Fair reported that Getty Images posted an addendum that reads, "EDITORS NOTE: Image has been digitally enhanced at source" to prevent further backlash.